The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-02-11

and why | am here to-night-that from
height immeasureably lofticr, down to
depth immeasureably deeper, there are fall
ing bright and beautiful young lives of
women in this great city and all over this
christian land, and we have not concerned
ourselves very much about their fall.
But thanks be to God, across the sea
something over year ago, there came boil
ing and seethng a cyclone of an aroused
and indignant public opinion. 1t came
even through the Hell Gate reef of our
lethargy and ignorance, and its dynamite
cleared the way; and the White Ribbon
ship sails forward now with the White
Cross at the masthead, and by Gods grace
we will keep it there foreyermore. Jap
plausel.
If women have not worked for women in
tie past, it is not because they have not
cared; say it frankly, I think lis because
they have not dared But the cloud Of ig-
norance and apathy is lifting slowly. The
thunder storm of prejudice against many
forms Of work by women is rumbling off
on the horizon, almost out of sight now,
and women are coming forth like singing
birds after thunder storm, and there is no
good work not even this last, which women
may not undertake with the blessing of all
good men on our endeavor.
If were asked why is it that you speak
tonight concerning themes not often talked
o1, NJ, ial,l ae 4 Of va
to speak concerning, and why it is that an
audience OF the best and the truest men and
women may gather to listen to such theme
with no fear OF criticism except from the
base and vile,-what is the reason? /
would explain it this way:
In 1869, studying in Paris for year,
noticed along the street and the brilliant
boulevard from time to time a strange NOV
ing procession Of sort of funeral looking
omnibus. eurtaned in black; and being
curious to know all the phases of the city,
wondering at this blot upon its beauty and
charm, asked my French teacher, love
ly and accomplished lady, whatit all meant,
and she told me with a raising Of the eye
brow, and that iuimitable shrug, why
don't yen know? 1t is the outcast women.
They 60 under surveillance Of the police
and get their certificates weekly And
then learned that shut up III certain quar-
tiers of the city, confined to certain streets,
allowed to be visible only at certain hours,
and marshalled thus so often under the es
cort of the officers oftlc law, Went those for
gotten, discarded, outcast ones, who are so
numerous in that great city. Always after
that, when | saw them passing, itseemed to
me no funeral procession in all the world
was half SD heart-breaking, and saw them
through my tears.
III were asked, then, why weare here and
may be here with impunity to discuss the
themes of the hour, I would say because
Law -makcrs sought to introduce into Eng
land and America the black wagons of
Paris, and Anglo Saxon women would not
bear it. Loud Applause When hand
joined in hand on the part of those in the
highest positions in the Government, an the
part of those of the greatest power, to heap
all the obIoquy and all the shame Of a dual
sin upon the weaker, and even to avoid
great NATURES penalty for the stronger, even
as society's penalty had been SO long avoid
cd then, thank God, womens loyalty to
women was aroused. 1t overleaped the ST
lence and reserve of centuries and Christen-
dom rings with our protest to day. TAP
plausel.
Friends that voice of the arousing of a
righteous indignation proves that evils
tend to their own cure, and that even a
worm will turn at last. 1t is now the de-
libcrate purpose of US thoughtful and noble
women as speak the English tongue, not
only that no system of regulated legalzed
vice shall eyer prevail in England or Amer
lea over a single square foot Of our terri
tory, but that the ''let alone, husli-a-by"
policy must be frowned out OF being, and
that Prohibition is the word, and Prohibi-
ton only. Applause.
If we are asked who first had the cour-
age to stand up and speak ON behalf of
those who had no voice to champion them,
/ would ask you to so with me to Win
chester, lovely little Cathedral town, as
you know, in Great Britain. Like myself,
YOU have doubtless stood before that spien-
did temple, which mans faith has reared
to God, and made a study of its noble
architecture; but if were to go there now
it would rather be to learn and make ac-
quaintance with the noble man, the Canon
of that Cathedral, Canon Butler, and with
that glorious woman, Josephine Butler, his
wife. [applausel !, the best woman since the
world began who ever stood up to plead
for those who were down-trodtlen in the
slime of the mud banks of time; who ever
came forth to be a voice for the voiceless
and plead their sorrowful cause.
Mrs. Josephine Butler had one lovely
daughter. God removed her from this
world into the world unseen, and with the
presence of that sorrow on her forehead,
this devoted mother, instead of eating out
her heart alone, resolved that she would
strike forth from the cross and meet sor-
row into the dark world around about her,
and dedicate her life and work to the
daughters of mothers far worse bereft,
although their daughters were yet alive;